Each year during Medicare’s Open Enrollment (Oct 15- Dec 7), beneficiaries are inundated with marketing materials from growing numbers of Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans, and materials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). While these materials are supposed to help beneficiaries review current plan changes and make informed choices for their 2019 health coverage, often materials and information can be misleading. Even CMS’ materials have been more and more biased toward Medicare Advantage plans and sometimes even fail to mention the option of having traditional Medicare with a supplement Medigap plan.
In an effort to provide a variety of unbiased, accurate and comprehensive information about the full range of Medicare coverage options, our partners, the Center for Medicare Advocacy and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare have put together a package of materials called, the Medicare Fully Informed Project. It includes an array of tools to assist in making the best individual enrollment choices, including:
- Medicare Advantage Brochure
- Self-help Document – Choosing Between MA and Traditional Medicare
- Decision Tree Infographic: Traditional Medicare or Medicare Advantage
- Medicare & You Handbook – Key page corrections
- Medigap – Supplemental Insurance to Help with Cost-Sharing in Traditional Medicare
- Q&A Medicare Part D
- Power Point Presentation: Choosing Between MA and Traditional Medicare (Depending on your settings, this will play in your browser or download for play)
Please share these materials with your clients, family members, friends and colleagues. If you have questions, call your local Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). HICAP provides free, unbiased, individual assistance and advocacy on Medicare and other health insurance related issues.
